Monday, April 18, 2011

Meditation is a fundemental key to many of the practices which underlie the working of magick and self-development in general, so I have decided to give a brief introduction to it here.

The basic practice of meditation is very simple. You need to find a place where you will not be disturbed for a time, and put yourself into a comfortable position. The position you choose does not matter as much as your comfort while in it, although lying down is not a good idea as you may actually fall asleep.

Close your eyes and allow yourself to relax. Do not to be attached to your thoughts, but allow them to rise and fall as you sit in silence. Focus on your breathing and relaxation. Gradually let go of thinking altogether.

This will be difficult at first, and your conscious mind will constantly seek to distract you. You may find you can only hold a calm state for a few minutes. Persistence will be your key to success. To gain real benefit, you must reach a point where you can maintain a meditative state for at least 15-20 minutes, or ten minutes twice a day. Try to be as consistent as possible with the times you practice. Persistence and consistency everyday will pay off.

There are many different forms of meditation, but this very basic form will get you started and prepare you well for others forms.

Friday, April 15, 2011

Whenever there are bad things afoot in the world, people invariably say "Somebody ought to do something". Who is this mythical being known as somebody.

Well, somebody is us. If we don't take get on the bandwagon and actually strive to make the changes the world needs, nothing will change.

People seem to get overwhelmed when thinking about the magnitude of some of the worlds problems and their response becomes "What can I do about it"? Anything helps, no matter how trivial or ineffective it might seem because, in truth, nothing is trivial.

If a legitimate cause needs money and you can give it, any amount is appreciated.

If you don't have money, maybe you have time you can donate. At a local level, most organizations often need extra help and will appreciate that as well.

If you don't have either of those at the moment, there are other things, like simply spreading the word and helping build momentum.

I'll even give you an example. As a Wiccan man, I have nothing but the utmost respect and love for women. As such, the whole illegal sex slavery industry absolutely sickens and disgusts me, and somebody ought to do something.

Well, I am one of those somebodies. Having recently seen Ashton Kutcher and Demi Moore on Piers Morgan talking about it, I started following Ashton on Twitter and retweeting his links and information on the matter as soon as I see them. Doesn't sound like much, since he already has so many followers and I so few right now, but think about it. I have different interests than him, and therefore people who currently do follow me and will follow me in the future may not be following him in spite of his popularity. So his words and actions reach people that they might not have otherwise, and even if only some of those people do something, then I have done something as well. I've helped spread the word and build momentum in a cause I believe in. You can too.

So think it over. If there is a cause you really want to support or something you really feel must change, get involved. If you can do big things, great. If you can only do what you feel are small things, then do them anyway.

In the end, it all counts, and nothing is trivial. Or, put another way:

"Evil flourishes when good men do nothing." Edmund Burke

Or the ever popular "If you're not part of the solution, you're part of the problem".

Sunday, April 10, 2011

These aspects of Wicca get sensationalized and misrepresented alot, so I'd like to clear some of that up right now.

When it comes to sex, yes, Wicca does generally deal very openly and honestly with sex and sexuality, including lifestyles and sexual preferences. No, we do not engage in Pagan orgies whenever we get together.

There are some Wiccans and Pagans who do live a polyamorous lifestyle and have open relationships, but there are also many who prefer monogamy and more traditional relationships. Such things are matters of lifestyle choice and preference, not a requirement of being Wiccan or Pagan.

As far as actual sex, we are not ashamed of the fact that we exist partly as sexual beings or that we have a healthy regard for sex and actually enjoy it.

Sex in Wiccan rituals is simply not as common some would like to think. There is only one Traditional ritual in which sex is part of the ritual itself, and this doesn't even have to be an actual sex act, but can be performed in a purely symbolic fashion if it would be inappropriate for the two undergoing this ritual to have actual sex with each other. Actual sex in this ritual is generally reserved for a married or otherwise already sexually involved couple.

Ritual nudity is not used by all groups of Wiccans, although it is still widely practiced among the more traditional groups.

Once again, we see no shame in nudity itself. A naked body is just a naked body.
The problem is that nudity and sex are so closely linked in the minds of the average person, that the common belief is that where there is one, there must be the other.

We don't believe that this is so, and once you learn to separate being naked from having sex, the nudity itself is no big deal.

Now, why do some of us practice nude, either alone or in groups? Many reasons have been given, from more effective energy transference to being closer to nature, and theses are probably perfectly valid reasons, but I would like us to consider something else as well.

In most versions of the Charge of the Goddess, it says something similar to: "You shall be free from all slavery, and as a sign that you be truly free, you shall be naked in your rights."

Now, what do we need to be free from? Physical slavery doesn't exists for most people anymore, so what other things could we be slaves to that nudity might be seen as a sign of freedom from?

How about self-conciousness, shame, fear, guilt, negative body images, low-self esteem? These things can be can be just as enslaving to our minds and spirits as shackles to our bodies. Learning to shed our clothes and be comfortable with ourselves can allow us to shed alot of mental and spiritual baggage as well.

Put all those reasons together, and it makes a good case for why nudity is used among some groups.

So, that's basically it. Take away the sensationalism and the misrepresentations, and sex and nudity are really no big deal. Nothing to be ashamed of or guilt-racked over. Simply natural parts of the human condition, and we treat them as such.

Tuesday, March 22, 2011

I really do. I've been living in cities and towns for so long I'd almost forgotten what is was like to see the stars as they were meant to be seen, or to see and hear wildlife every morning. We even had a Raccoon sleep on our porch one night. Can't wait for the greenery to start growing again. In the meantime, I am working on a website and continuing to offer Tarot readings via my Etsy shop. I am hoping to expand beyond just readings within the near future.

Tuesday, March 15, 2011

Well, it's been a while, but I am back to this blog. Been busy, moved twice since the last time I updated this, but I am settled now in just the kind of place I've always wanted to get back to, and looking forward to getting back to writing and putting up a new website in the near future. I'll be posting it here when it's finished. When the weather improves, I'll be growing some things too.

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Damh the Bard

About Me

I grew up very close to nature and have always felt drawn back to it. I began practicing Wicca and Shamanism 20 years ago. I am currently a self-studying student of Irish Druidry and an ordained Pagan minister.